examination
Last reviewed 01/2018
Physical examination of the state of nutrition entails a thorough clinical examination to look for:
- general signs of deficiency:
- hair: frail, loose, lanugo
- skin: petechiae, purpura, thinness
- lips: cheilosis, angular fissure
- papillae atrophy of tongue
- salivary gland enlargement
- peripheral oedema
- the stigmata of specific deficiencies e.g. poorly-healing wounds with vitamin C deficiency
- assessing body stores of fat e.g. tissue overlying biceps and triceps in the arm
- assessing body stores of protein e.g. temporalis, supraspinatus and interosseous muscles
- the extent of physiological dysfunction e.g.:
- activity and mobility around ward
- ability to blow match out as a crude measure of respiratory muscle function
- hand grip dynanometry
- anthropometric measures